From ‘Just Do It’ to ‘So Win’: Nike’s New Super Bowl Commercial in Almost 30 Years Uplifts Women Athletes
Nike announced its new “So Win” brand anthem by airing its first Super Bowl commercial since 1998, almost 30 years ago. It features some of the most renowned women in sports, including Caitlin Clark, Jordan Chiles, Sha’Carri Richardson, and A’ja Wilson.
Airing right before Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show, the 60-second commercial clips together videos of women dominating in their respective sports with studio cinematography. The full list of featured athletes includes A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, Jordan Chiles, Sabrina Ionescu, Sha’Carri Richardson, Alexia Putellas, Aryna Sabalenka, and Sophia Smith Wilson.
There’s one guarantee in sport. You’ll be told you can’t do it. So do it anyway.
— Nike (@Nike) February 10, 2025
You can’t win. So Win.
@officialdoechii pic.twitter.com/Fcu9VXQbnA
Grammy-award winner Doechii narrates the voice-over anthem, encouraging athletes to win despite constantly being told what to do, how to act, or who to be.
The “DENIAL IS A RIVER” singer recites, “You can’t be demanding. You can’t be relentless. You can’t put yourself first. So, put yourself first. You can’t be confident. So be confident. You can’t challenge, so challenge. You can’t dominate, so dominate. You can’t flex, so flex. You can’t fill a stadium, so fill that stadium. You can’t be emotional, so be emotional. You can’t take credit. You can’t speak up. You can’t be so ambitious. Break records. You can’t have any fun. You can’t make demands. You can’t be proud. You can’t keep score. You can’t stand out. Whatever you do, you can’t win. So win.”
At a time when women’s sports viewership and investment are on the rise, Nike chose this year’s Super Bowl as the time to come back from an almost 30-year hiatus from Super Bowl commercials.
Nicole Graham, Chief Marketing Officer at Nike, states, “At Nike, we make sure the athlete is at the center of everything we do, from product creation to storytelling. We are at our best when we are representing the voice of the athlete and their voice becomes our voice. This brand anthem, featuring elite Nike athletes, is a perfect example of how we can inspire everyone to win, whatever that means for them.”
What makes this commercial extra impactful is that it goes beyond athletes and sports.
Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles expresses, “Winning isn’t just about medals. It’s about overcoming, about proving to yourself that you’re capable of more than you ever imagined. And doing it all authentically.”
Nike reveals that maybe it’s not so easy to “Just Do It.” Sometimes it feels like you can’t win, “so win,” anyway.
